gun cleaning

[TobyM]

I don't know about you but I find cleaning a major chore!I cleaned the trap and sporter yesterday as both will probably be not used until sometime next month. The trap gun took ages!I spray Napier gun cleaner down the barrels and leave for a few minutes, during which time I just generally wipe the action and fore end and just see that it's clean.Back to the barrels: I use the wire brush attachment first. Give it a good poking up and down. Then I use bog roll, 3 squares folded in half lengthwise and then folded in half sideways and wrap this into the attachment with the slot.Poke this down each barrel, up and down, changing the loo roll when it's black and keep going it until the black stuff is gone from the barrels. Sometimes this involves another spray and wire brush and then back to the bog roll.I bloody hate it but I know it's a necessary evil, until I can afford a servant to do it Any tips or different methods?

 

[Outlaw]

Mine is still a mess after the weekend ., shot fibre wads through it and it fouled to buggery but it will work just the same next time I use it. I will clean the ported chokes though as they made my fingers dirty when I twiddled them I used to clean it everytime I used it and the ex wifes too, that used to take the best part of the sunday evening. I used to use Legia??? spray down the barrels, then use a battery drill on the rod with a wire brush on the end for the chambers and forcing cones. Another spray down the barrels again and a quick push through with the barrel brush then a good poking with the Paradox rod. Next I'd take out the chokes and clean them and oil them then refit. finally a mop with some oil on it pushed through. Clean wood with soft cloth wiping up any excess oil after, then finally wipe down and lube of action with Bisley gun grease. Job done! I did find spraying and parradoxing the barrels at the ground while they are still warm helped with heavy deposits, then a good clean at home.

 

[ExSCA]

I quite enjoy cleaning my gun when I get home, I only clean it once a weekend - but I do find it a little therapeutic - my regime is as follows:Spray of Beretta Bore Cleaner down each barrelOne sheet of kitchen towel into each barrel - twisted into a wad - push through with the rod (they usually get most of crud out)Quick scrub in the cones and chambers with the wire brushRemove the chokes and wipe down with an oily cloth - replace and tightenWipe down the action with an oily clothQuick wipe over of the woodwork with a clean duster (no polish)Tiniest spray of gun oil down the barrelLeave it barrel down in the safe

 

[VicW]

Personally I reckon that modern shotguns with modern cartridges and with chrome bores don't need cleaning after every use.Having said that I clean my barrels after every use,unless I am shooting two days in succession, because the fixed chokes have been opened out so the chrome has been removed and needs a coat of oil for protection.The rest of the gun gets a thorough clean once a month.I use brake cleaner for removing the lead and plastic crud from the bores and the old coat of oil on the rest.Here an air compressor is very useful.Do not get the brake cleaner on the barrels.For re-oiling purposes I use car engine oil.It has all the right properties.It doesn't run off the coated surfaces,it is able to cope in a hot environment,it resists corrosion and copes with high pressures.The bores get a thin coat of WD40.Vic.

 

[TobyM]

Good point on the fixed choke Vic, hadn't thought of that. Had my top barrel on the sporter opened to half from three-quartersI used to clean the sporter after every shoot & it's in excellent order - barrels are perfect.

 

[hnachaj]

Worst thing to use is WD40 which is gummy and water based! The best is BreakFree CLP. If it is good for most of NATO since the early 80s it works for me. I have NOT cleanned my 391 Optima Gold since 2003 when I treated it with BreakFree. I squirt some every time I use it and wipe down the barrel if it is going to rain. It is mostly used for hunting or when the weather is crap. My previous 390 Gold Sporter did 25024 rounds with 20 FTF in a long term test report that I did for The Clay Pigeon! My DT10L was last cleanned since 2004 this year by Mario from Beretta at Orville since I was stuck in a 40mm 1.5 hour downpour the Saturday afternoon!The Lone Canadian,Henry

 

[Salopian]

Henry,You have just confirmed that the French are a dirty race, and don't use personal hygiene to us Brits, which of course we have known for years.Seriously, Henry, I am amazed that your semi -auto's functioned trouble free without carboning up the gas ports, maybe that's the problem we have over here with auto's, we clean them too much!!!! Me! I hate auto's.A very good Perazzi gunsmith that I know recommends WD40 ( Water Dispersant formula40) for barrel cleaning, he reckons it breaks up plastic wad fouling.Me, I use the following method, kitchen towel pushed through on a Jag to remove dry carbon fouling, spray with Napier gun cleaner, leave for 20 minutes to do its work, then clean with successive pieces of kitchen roll until it comes out clean. If I have stubborn lead or plastic fouling I then use Parker Hale 009, leave for 20 minutes and then kitchen roll it until clean. Then I remove multichokes, ( Don't use a multichoke very often) thoroughly clean chokes , oil threads and refit to barrels, light coat of oil on wool mop push through barrels. Dab a drop of Wynn's or STP onto hinge pin and any hard bearing surfaces, dab it on, wipe most of it off, reassemble gun and store barrel down in cabinet.

 

[VicW]

Quote from hnachaj on September 5, 2011, 22:06Worst thing to use is WD40 which is gummy and water based! The best is BreakFree CLP. If it is good for most of NATO since the early 80s it works for me.Henry

Henry, You will hear as many people decry WD40 as speak in favour of it,I find it hard to believe,however,that a water dispersant is water based.You speak highly of Breakfree CLP yet an American friend reckons that CLP stands for Cleans,Lubricates,Protects, which is exactly what WD40 claims to do.Whatever, to each his own.A couple of gunsmiths have recommended WD40 for gun cleaning with the proviso not to get it on the outside of the barrels if possible because it may attack the blacking or blueing if left in contact.Vic.

 

[Nigel]

I had a Beretta 687 Sporter back in 1990 -- I bought it new, I used WD 40 on it to keep it cleaned and waterproofed, it did a good job at this but it also over a few years removed the Teflon coating that was on the barrels, put it like this I won't be using it on my new Perazzi -- it's Brunox for me for the past 5/6 years and a light spray of Blaser grease.Nige

 

[hnachaj]

Now now, I am definetly NOT French but from noble European blood! Prussian and Polish (via Slovakia where we were kings). WD40 was used in the 60s by many Remington 1100 shooters. In the old days, it was used to clean and lubricate after every skeet or trap shoot. It did gum up with powder residue and killed O rings etc. BreakFree was developed first for the German and Norwegian armies during the early 80s. I read an American Colonel's doctorate (he was at the war college getting his first star) about American M16 failures to fire in cold weather while Euro types kept firing even at -40C. The difference was the lubricant, BreakFree over regular gun oil. An M16 would fire one shot at -30C while a HK would easily fire 5 shots at -40C. BreakFree was firstly adopted by the American navy then the Army as a milspec. In the past 10 years, other companies have been able to meet this milspec. In Canada, it is bought by the 45 gallon drum and used for everything from the faithfull Browning (Inglis) Hipower to 105mm heavy pieces. The ports on the new 390 and 391 are very large so even if they do get a bit of opwder residue, they still function as intented though there is less gas bypass through the relief system. On the 300, 302 and 303 port size had to do with either a target gun (large ports) or hunting gun (small ports). this controlled the bolt speed. In the 390 and 391, the relief system controls the bolt speed. I can still shoot interchangeably, 2 1/2 dram trainning loads with 3 inch MAX steel goose BB loads. They all fall in the exact same area after firing.Here are a couple of pictures of the 390 after the test report. Note that the powder stays greasy and not dry, as Breakfree does break it down![img ]

BTW, I did use to clean my choke tubes with a Briley Brush and much solvent as the accumilation of plastic and lead would change the constriction. I no longer need to clean them as I use Muller Ceramic chokes! A wipe of some cotton and thei are as clean as new!The Lone Canadian,Henry

 

[Hamster]

Henry that`s dirtier than even my guns.

 

[** Pending Removal **]

Hen I was just going to post that you are not French but you got there first

 

[Salopian]

Nicola,I know he's not French, but Prussian, Polish, Slovac, Canuck, didn't quite have the same ring to it as Dirty Frog!Henry, How long does it take you to clean George's Perazzi? I noticed he used both sets of barrels on Sunday, so it was twice the work for you.

 

[Mike]

Quote from Salopian on September 7, 2011, 14:11Nicola,I know he's not French, but Prussian, Polish, Slovac, Canuck, didn't quite have the same ring to it as Dirty Frog!Henry, How long does it take you to clean George's Perazzi? I noticed he used both sets of barrels on Sunday, so it was twice the work for you.

Oh dear...I was waiting for something like that. I pulled his leg on Shotgunworld about Mr Digweed and he never replied

 

[Nigel]

I noticed he used both sets of barrels on Sunday, .hah hah Pete tell me more about the 2 sets of barrels ? what length was he usin for what target ? this is something I've never heard of before about the big man

Nige

 

[** Pending Removal **]

Er...............gun cleaning!1. Only do the full fannying on if it get wet.........otherwise it should only take a few quick minutes........so.....2. Get the big fluffy rod thingy. Fire it up and down a few times and you will see that barrels are spotless (that it if you shoot good cartridges that do not leave piles of sh*te up the barrels).3. Quick squirt with oil down the barrels and a massive squirt down action, then scrub inside of action with a toothbrush and wipe off.4. Stand barrels down in gun cab so the oil does not spoil your stock.5. Only put grease on specific parts of the action when shooting.Simples................unless you love fannying on.All my guns get same treatment, several are 'special' and some are very very old. None have ever deteriorated. All have been peed wet through during the winter months.After 25 years you tend to move on from polishing your bits every night

 

[hnachaj]

George has Perrazzi clean his gun and barrels during the winter! Since I am here and you are across the pond and much closer, I would surmise that you would have a better chance at cleanning George's gun, after he cleanned your clock over the weekend! The Lone CanadianHenry

 

[** Pending Removal **]

Quote from hnachaj on September 7, 2011, 21:46George has Perrazzi clean his gun and barrels during the winter! Since I am here and you are across the pond and much closer, I would surmise that you would have a better chance at cleanning George's gun, after he cleanned your clock over the weekend! The Lone CanadianHenry

 

[hnachaj]

Thank you! You are up late having a ????????????The Lone Canadian,Henry